


with green eyes of envy

by Khiroptera



Series: Love Aboard the Tempest [1]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hugs, Jealousy, and has low self-esteem, but they mean well, honestly don't worry it's just doofuses and fluff, mild cuddling, sara is a little jealous, still bad at titles sorry, the tempest is full of trolls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-10-31 10:30:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10897485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khiroptera/pseuds/Khiroptera
Summary: She’d spent enough time with Jaal by this point to know that a compliment was just that. He did it with everyone on the Tempest. There was absolutely no reason to get jealous.Nope. No reason at all.(aka our favorite pair get a little jealous, and the Tempest crew solve it for them.)





	with green eyes of envy

**Author's Note:**

> people really liked my first fic, and i have been thoroughly encouraged to write more! so here's another one. i think this will end up being 2-3 chapters? though each chapter will be more or less stand-alone.  
> this first chapter is from sara's POV and takes place BEFORE their first kiss on havarl (probably before jaal's cute little email). it centers around npc and companion dialog you've all probably heard in-game, though with some obvious differences. 8P  
> enjoy!

“They should put Jaal on every Resistance recruitment poster. Did he ever contact you?”

_Well then_. Sara slowed her steps to the _tavetaan_. After their success with rescuing the Moshae and being granted permission to roam Aya, Sara had been looking forward to knocking back a few with her friends. But this? This she _had_ to hear. Liam could wait.

Off to the side were two angaran women, standing close to each other with the familiarity of friendship. One of them chuckled.

“No, that man is impervious to flirtation.”

Sara cast a glance over at Jaal, not far from the conversation. He hadn’t seemed to hear any of it, though, as he stared out at Aya’s stormy landscape, cloak fluttering in the breeze. She’d had Jaal on her ship for a little while now. He’d opened up to everyone beautifully, but the little moments between the two of them felt special, somehow.

She looked away before anyone noticed her staring, and pretended to study the surrounding plant life as she continued to eavesdrop.

The other angara sighed. “Why are the good ones always dense?”

“I hear he had a thing for the repository’s curator.” Sara’s eyes widened— _Avela? Jaal liked Avela?_ “Never went anywhere—she’s just as thick.”

“So… Jaal’s available?”

Sara walked away then, no longer interested as the two women teased each other, giggling like schoolgirls. Her mind was reeling—Jaal liked Avela? But apparently, Avela didn’t return those feelings.

For one delirious moment, Sara was almost angry at the woman. Who wouldn’t like Jaal? He was gentle, compassionate, a deep thinker. Powerful. An absolute _boss_ with a rifle. Sara liked him already—liked him a _lot_. Enough that she smiled to herself every time she heard his voice over the comms, or blushed whenever his gaze landed on her. Good thing he still didn’t know what to make of her reddened face.

Okay, so _maybe_ she had a crush on him.

Things seemed to make a little more sense, though. If Jaal was interested in someone else, that would explain why his responses to her (admittedly less than stellar) flirts were so… lackluster. She looked back over at Jaal, stoic as ever, before glumly making her way down the steps to the _tavetaan_.

Liam waved at her from his seat by the bar, and Sara perked up a little. She was being ridiculous; she wouldn’t let some random gossip ruin her day. Besides, it’s not like she and Jaal actually had anything going on.

“Hey, Ryder! So, listen,” Liam started, before Sara could even take a seat next to him. “Peebee might be getting into some trouble.”

Sara groaned. “Really? We only _just_ got access to this city.”

“Yeah, she had a _shitload_ of drinks over here with me before running off. She seemed okay though.” Liam was grinning, and even Sara could see how amusing the situation was. She sighed.

“Alright. I better check up on her, make sure she’s not agitating anyone with full-body scans or whatever.”

“She ran back that way.” Liam pointed back the way Sara had come. “I think she wanted to check out the repository.”

_Great_ , Sara thought. _Exactly the place I wanted to avoid right now._

“When I’m back, you better have some drinks lined up for me,” she joked, though Sara really hoped Liam would do just that. She was going to need a distraction from her thoughts.

The repository was untouched when Sara walked inside, so that was a good sign. She easily found Peebee stumbling around in one corner—apparently, angaran alcohol had a slow absorption rate. After making her friend promise (multiple times) not to steal any of the artifacts on display, Sara was reassured that her crew wouldn’t botch their newfound freedoms and began to leave—until Avela caught her eye.

She couldn’t help herself. Sara looked the other woman up and down, suddenly struck by how _pretty_ she was. Avela had the same pouty lips and pert little nose most other angaran women shared, but it was easy to see from afar how _soft_ she was, how her clothing flattered her natural colors, the smoothness of her cheeks and… neck-flaps? Sara still didn’t know what those were called, but they looked lovely regardless.

_It would make sense for Jaal to like her_ , she thought, _as opposed to me and my strange, human proportions._ It was easy for Milky Way aliens to see beauty in other races—they’d become accustomed to features unlike their own. But maybe angara couldn’t see past that. Maybe Jaal couldn’t.

Avela caught her staring and threw a smile her way. Sara smiled back, guilt clouding her envy. It wasn’t Avela’s fault that Jaal felt the way he did; besides, Sara liked the other woman too, would like to call her friend one day. She tamped down her confusing feelings as she stepped outside.

When she glanced over at Jaal’s direction, she was surprised to see him turned around. He looked over his surroundings, a peaceful quality to his features, before he noticed her standing outside the repository door. He smiled, slow but genuine, and Sara felt her face grow hot. She waved at him before abruptly turning away, intent on her drinks.

* * *

 

It was some weeks later when things got more… confusing.

Sara was driving the Nomad around Eos with Jaal and Cora, giving their services to the residents of Prodromos. There was a particularly long stretch before they’d reach their navpoint, so the three made small talk along the way. It was as typical as it could get.

“You are in excellent physical condition, Cora. Better than anyone on the squad.”

Sara felt her eyes bug out of her skull. _What? I mean, he’s right, but_ what _?_

Cora laughed lightly. “Thanks. Didn’t realize you were paying attention.”

In the corner of her eye, Sara caught Jaal shrugging his shoulders. “The mind wants what the mind wants.”

Sara swerved a little, before regaining control of her limbs. Cora eyed her, but Sara’s gaze stayed firm on the path in front of them. Inside her head, she was anything but calm.

_What does that mean? So he_ can _see humans as attractive? Oh god, is he attracted to Cora? Is Cora attracted to him? Oh god oh god oh god…_

Apparently, Jaal _could_ see past the whole alien thing… with Cora. This was way worse than that thing with Avela. If Jaal could be attracted to an alien, of _course_ it wouldn’t be her, not when he was surrounded by other, more attractive options, like Liam, or Peebee, or _Cora_. She felt her heart sink to her stomach.

She couldn’t fault Cora for any of it, but _damn_. She wished Scott were here so she could talk to him about it, like they used to do as teenagers. A flash of her crying on his shoulder over a girl she’d liked in high school came to mind. Hopefully she wouldn’t be _that_ bad about things, now.

Cora cleared her throat a little, the awkward silence apparently too much for her. “Ryder, you’re in pretty good shape too, you know.”

Sara tightened her lips in a grimace. _Thanks, Cora._ _That wasn’t a weird thing to say at all._

Surprisingly, Jaal took the bait, unfazed by the entire conversation. “Oh, I’m sure. I don’t see your body very much, Ryder, since you don’t exercise out in the open as often as Cora—“

“Or walk around shirtless like Liam,” Cora said flatly, and Sara laughed a little despite herself.

“—but the way you charge at our enemies, the endurance you display in combat," he continued. "I’m sure you’re in lovely condition.”

Sara picked that very moment to look at her friends. Jaal was smiling at her, while Cora kept shooting her this smug look that told Sara, ‘ _I know_.’ She blushed, turning back to the task of driving.

“Thanks, Jaal,” she mumbled, though she couldn’t help the small smile on her face. “You’re not so bad yourself, you know.”

“I’d hope not,” he said, and she rolled her eyes. He didn’t know the half of it.

* * *

 

“Thanks again for picking up those supplies, Ryder.” Vetra’s mandibles twitched up. Sara knew from experience that it was the turian equivalent of a smile.

“No problem.” She lowered her voice a little, though she knew they couldn’t be heard. “I was concerned about Suvi’s baking, too.”

“Well, now we have a delicious alternative for movie night. Oh, and some popcorn.”

Sara let Vetra get back to her work— _always so busy, they really needed to do something about that_ —and left the armory. On the landing above, she saw Jaal and Peebee leaning against the railing, Cora not far from them. Sara felt her chest grow warm and fuzzy. She always did like seeing her crew get along. No group of friends in her past even came _close_ to the friendliness on this ship.

Now if only she could get Liam to cool down a little more, and she was still working on a way to lock Kallo and Gil in a room together…

“Your eyes have such fire, Peebee,” Jaal said. “It’s thrilling. You were bold to make the journey here.”

Sara folded her arms, rolling her eyes despite the lightness in her chest. She’d spent enough time with Jaal by this point to know that a compliment was just that. He did it with everyone on the _Tempest_. There was absolutely _no_ reason to get jealous.

Peebee practically glowed from the compliment, hardly able to formulate a sentence, and Jaal held her gaze earnestly.

Sara swallowed. _Nope._ _No reason at all._

Cora had taken notice of her below them, and Sara recognized the protectiveness and frustration in her voice when she interrupted. “Seriously?”

Jaal looked to her now. “And Cora, I imagine your decision was mindful of your potential… and brilliance,” he teased, though Sara knew the words themselves were genuine. Cora could tell too, judging by the way she grew flustered.

Sara took a deep breath in, then let it out in a whoosh. She really needed to get a handle on her emotions about this. Jaal liked spending time with _everyone_ , and that included her. She thought of her most recent attempts at flirting, and how he’d averted his eyes, rewarded her with tiny smiles. Maybe she wasn’t actually getting anywhere with him, and he’d probably let her down later, but damn if she wasn’t going to savor those little looks while she could.

For now, she decided to rescue Cora from her embarrassment.

“Whoa there, Jaal,” she called up to them. “Be careful you don’t send them both falling down here with those smooth words.”

“Sara,” he said, and she couldn’t help the little shiver down her spine at how he rolled the ‘r’ in her name. His face brightened, his mouth turning up in a wide grin. “I’m glad you’re back.”

Sara felt her stupid face react the way it always did to his eyes, his smiles, his _everything_. Peebee smirked at her, her brow quirked up in amusement, and Cora sighed in relief before fleeing the scene.

Jaal’s eyes widened. “Is that… are you blushing, Ryder?”

Sara froze. _Damn it._ She knew he’d figure it out eventually.

“Uhh… yeah, I’m just—there’s nothing, it’s really hot down here—“ she stammered lamely. Jaal raised a brow at her.

“Are you alright?”

Peebee patted his arm. “She’s just a little _distressed_ , is all. Maybe you should try giving her a hug? Those _always_ help humans when they blush.”

Oh, that woman was downright _evil_. “No, Jaal, that’s not necessary, really—“ Sara tried to say, but Jaal was already making his way to the lift. Peebee threw her a thumbs-up before sauntering off.

_I’m going to kill her_ , Sara thought. _Just eject her escape pod while she’s sleeping_.

The lift lowered, and Jaal stepped over to her, his arms wide and welcoming. “Will this help?”

Sara Ryder was a weak, _weak_ woman.

“Um… maybe?”

Instantly, he gathered her up in his arms, his gloved hands rubbing lightly over her back. Sara pushed herself into him, unable to resist putting her arms around his waist. He was so _warm_ , and she could feel his muscles when he squeezed, just a little. She burrowed into him, breathing deeply. Peebee had been right; Jaal smelled really good, like flowers and fresh breezes. She’d smelled it before, in the Nomad, but up close it was much better, and there was a hint of something else there, something… _electric_. A small, tingly jolt ran through her body, and she couldn’t tell if it was her or the bioelectricity in his body, but it felt nice either way.

His breath stirred the hair on her head, and she sighed against him. One of his hands ran up her neck and into her hair, leaving further tingles in its wake, and she felt him gently play with the strands, letting them slip through his fingers. Her own hands dragged up his back, feeling him through his suit. Jaal hummed deep in his chest—in satisfaction, she hoped—and Sara’s stomach exploded with butterflies at the sound.

She wasn’t sure how long they stood there, breathing in sync and simply holding onto each other. Jaal didn’t seem like he was going to let go any time soon, so regretfully she pulled away, letting her arms fall to her sides. He smiled down at her, his own hands resting on her shoulders. Sara suddenly felt awful, like she’d taken advantage of his kindness somehow.

“Hey, Jaal?” she said, her voice a little breathless.

“Yes, Sara?” His voice was deeper than usual, a little huskier. She tried not to focus on that.

“Just so you know,” she said, trying to keep her eyes on his. “Hugging doesn’t cure blushing or anything like that. Peebee was just messing with us.”

At that, his smile morphed into smirk. His eyes were hooded, almost sultry, and Sara could’ve sworn her heart stopped.

“I know.”

He reached up to cup her cheek, thumb rubbing gently across it. Sara watched his eyes scan her face, settling on her lips a moment too long, before letting go and walking past her. His _rofjinn_ brushed against her arm, the light material skimming her skin as he exited.

Sara was stuck staring at the wall, frozen in place next to the Nomad. It was the sound of Vetra exiting her room that made her legs finally worked, and she walked brusquely towards the hallway, Vetra’s gaze on her.

“Nice one,” Vetra said, clearly speaking to someone over the comms, and _what?_ Sara hid herself behind the doorway, listening in, and just barely made out Peebee’s voice over the speaker.

“Yeah, I figured she could use a hug.”

“So, what’d you do to get Jaal to play along?”

Peebee laughed. “I didn’t plan _anything_. So easy.”

Vetra hummed at that, clearly amused. “I thought as much.”


End file.
